Loading machine



Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,616

F. N. WILSON LOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jan.17, 1928. 1,656,616

F. N. WILSON LOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2yzzz/ezzfifx ji'arzfl il z'laviz.

Jan. 17; 1928.

F. N. WILSON LOADING MACHINE 4 SheetsSheet Filed" Sept. 5. 1924 F. N.WILSON LOADING MACHINE Filed Sept 5. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Jan.17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOADING MACHINE.

Application filed September 5, 1924. Serial No. 735,984.

My present invention relates to loading machines such as described in myU. S. Letters Patent Number 1,467,700 and my pending application, SerialNumber 573,428 now Patent 1,517,812, December 2, 1924, such as used incoal mines for conveying coal-shot from; the face, or breast of the coalvein to pit cars for transportation from the mine, but not limitedthereto as itcan be used for rock as well, and it pertains moreparticularly to picking, tearing, down and loosening mechanism morecommonly known to me as pick bars, which are operatively associated withconveyor blades movable laterally in an arcuate path belowv the pickbars for collecting and moving to pit cars, or other vehicles, thematerial loosened by the pick bars as well as that not affected by thepick bars.

This patent application is a continuation in part of the pending patentapplication bearing Serial Number 573,428 now Patent 1,517812, December2nd, 1924, and includes subject matter disclosed in Figs. 4 and 10 ofthat application.

The object of my present invention is to rovide a perfect picking,tearing down and oosening mechanism which picks at and tears down toloosen the coal after being shot and prepares the blasted coal to becollect- 36 ed by laterally directed conveyor arms moving under the pickbars and transported to pit cars thereby for transportatlon from themine.

A further object of the invention is to 55 provide means for adjustingthe pick, tearmg down or material loosening bars so as to impart theretoand to limit partial rotary movement of the pick bars and to cause thepick bar oints to penetrate between lumps 40 of blaste coal or rockearly, or late in their forward laterally directed arcuate path oftravel and to retract themselves by backing out and raising from thelumps of coal, or rock picked down and loosened in the pile and fromwhich loosened pile of coal or rock, the conveyor blades transport theloosened material to pit cars, or the like, by moving the machine up tothe loosened coal, or rock, at which point the conveyor blades collect wthe loosened material for transportation from such point to a suitabledepository.

A still further object of the invent-ion is to provide means whereby theforward ends or points of the pick, tearing down or loosening bars willcontinue to scribe an arc, but in the opposite direction and positionwhen the pick points have started to raise to a vertical positionthrough an arcuate path in their return or nonactive movement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means to agitatecoal, or other material, such as rock, in a pile suflicient to loosenthe material to be in such a loosened, or torn down state as to bereadily collected and moved first laterally by conveyor blades and thenlongitudinally of a machine bed plate, thereby to pit cars, othervehicles. or into a pile.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel features of construction, arrangement and combination of partshereinafter more fully described and finally pointed out in the claimshereto appended.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, wherein like characters of reference denote similar partsthroughout the several views:

Fig. 1, is a planview of a loader embodying the features of my inventionand constructed in accordance therewith.

Fig. 2, is a front elevation of one side of the loading machine, showingthe pick bar in its outermost side position, which corresponds to thedotted lines A shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a front elevation of one side of the loading machine, showingthe pick bar moved to its forward extended position, which correspondsto the dotted lines B shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, is a front elevation of one side of the loading machine,showingthe pick bar in its innermost position, which corresponds to thedotted lines 0 shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5, is a front elevation of one side of the loading machine, showingthe pick bar in its rearward extended position, which corresponds to thefull lines shown on the left side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6, is a view inperspective of one of the plck bars.

Fi 7, is a side elevation of the left hand ick ar and its associatedparts, the pick ar being shown in the position illustrated in dottedlines B in Fig. 1, and the bed plate being shown in sectional elevation.

Fig. 8, is a view similar to Fig. 7, except the pick bar is shown in theosition illustrated in full lines shown on t e left side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9, is a perspective view of the rear end of one of the pick bars,slidably and rotatably mounted in a pivotally mounted adjustablebearing.

Fig. 10, is a longitudinal sectional view of the pick bar bearing withthe pick bar shown mounted therein infull lines.

Fig. 11, is a transverse sectional view of the pick bar bearing sleeveand pick bar.

Fig. 12, is a perspective view of the camrooved pick bar member andassociated hearing, as illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawing in myaforesaid co-pending application, Serial Number 573,428 Patent 1,517,-812, December 2, 1924.

In carrying out the aim of my present invention, I employ a suitableinclined load' ing machine bed-plate 1. Rotatably mounted at the forwardend ofv the bed-plate 1 are a pair of suitable front sprocket wheels 2arranged in opposed and suitably spaced relation. A pair of suitablerear, sprocket wheels 3 are rotatably mounted at the rear end of thebed-plate 1 and they are arranged in longitudinal alignment with thefront sprocket wheels 2.

A suitable endless conveyor chain 4 rides over each pair of sprockets 2and 3. Each conveyor chain 4 is provided with a plurality of suitablelaterally directed con veyor blades, or arms 5 which are arrangedin'suitable spaced relation, as more fully described hereinafter intheir timed relation with the partial rotary movement of the picking,tearing down or material loosening bars to be hereinafter'described.

Fixedly connected to the upper ends of each shaft 6 to which shafts 6the front sprocket wheels2 are fixed, is an eccentric plate 7 having afixed upwardly directed eccentric pin 8. Loosely mounted at one end uponeach pin 8 is a two piece or split hearing 9 which is held from upwarddisplacement by means of a securing nut 10. The two piece or splitbearing 9 is provided with a longitudinally disposed bearing opening 11and the bearing is also provided with a bolt 12 and a securin nut 13 atits end opposite the eccentric pm 8. Briefly, the bearin 9 isoscillatingly supported by the eccentric pin 8, as will be apparenthereinafter.

Conveyor cover plates are represented by the reference numerals 14 andadjustably mounted upon each of these plates 14, is a plate 15 having apair of opposed longitudinally directed slotted openings 16 throughwhich pass bolts 17 provided with securing nut 18 for locking the plates15 against displacement upon the conveyor cover plates 14; and yetpermitting lon 'tudinal adjustment of the plates 15. T e plates 15 arealso provided with transverse slots 19 to receive the bolts 17 whendesired to permit lateral adjustment of the plates 15, the ob ject ofwhich will be apparent hereinafter.

An oscillating bearing 20 is suitably supported, or carried by theslotted plate 15 and is provided with a longitudinally directed opening21 carrying a sleeve 22 which is provided with opposed openings 23through which pass suitable set screws 24 provided with lock nuts 25.The sleeves 22 extend forwardly a suitable distance beyond the frontface of each oscillating bearing member 20.

A coal, or other material picking, tearing down or loosening bar 26 isreciprocatingly and rotatively mounted at its rear end in each bearingsleeve 22, and, journally at its forward reduced wrist end, or section27 in the split bearing 9. Extending forwardly from the wrist portion 27of the pick bar 26 is the curved pick section 28 having a pick point 29which lies in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of thebar 26. The rear end of each bar 26 is preferably cylindrical in shape,or circular in cross section, and, is rovided with a pair of opposedlongitudina ly directed cam grooves 30 which co-operate with the innerends of the set screws 24:. The cam grooves 30 are cut so as to make aquarter turn, thus providing the straight rear groove sections 31, theinclined central groove sections 32 and the straight forward groovesections 33. The forward straight groove sections 33 lie substantiallyat a right angle to the rear groove sections 31.

The straight rear cam groove sections 31 permit the front end of thepick bar to move in a laterally directed forward arcuate path from theoutside position to inside position in its pickin tearing down, orloosening movement, whereas the central, or inclined cam groove section32 causes the desired partial rotative movement of the bar for liftingor raising the forward curved end of the pick bar, and the straightforward grooved sections 33 cause the forward end of the bar to permitof its movement in return direction from its inside position, or pointof travel, to its outerside position, or point of travel at asubstantially right angle to the position assumed by the forward end ofthe pick, tearing down and loosening bar while in its picking operationat the pile of blasted coal. The pitch of thegroove of the cam groovesection 32 determines the len h of time at and in which the partialrotation of the pick bar takes place, thus determining the time withinwhich the forward pick end of the bar will move from its horizontalposition to its vertical position for picking down and loosening thecoal in the pile especially, and vice versa.

The movements of the pick bars 26 are timed with the conveyor blades 5in such a manner that the conveyor blades will start to collect a load,or, in other words, start to enga e the loosened material just as theforwar ends of the pick bars start to rise through rotation and returnmovement to their initial, or outside starting point, thus causing oneof the conveyor blades to move to a sition directly under the forwardcurved zends of the pick bars 26 b the time the curved pick ends haveassume a vertical osition in their rearward extendedposition y partialrotation thereof in their return movement. It will be here observed,that the forward pick ends of the bars 26 are suitably curved, or shapedso that during the partial rotation movement, the pick ends of the barswill retract upwardly and rearwardly from the material collected by theactive conveyor blade, thus forming an arch over the load so as not toengage or interfere in any way with the load passing under the curvedfront ends ofthe 10k bars which loosen the coal in the pile an' tear, ortumble it down so that theconve or blades when moved up to the loosenedpile of material, will collect the loosened material and transport it tobedplate 1 for transportation to pit cars, or other suitable vehicles,preferably disposed at the rear end of the loader, as is manifest, butnot shown in drawings of this application.

The set of pick bars 26 are preferably timed to work alternately, thatis when the curved forward end, or pick point section of one bar 26 isin its rearwardly extended, arched or vertically disposed position,illustrated in full lines and represented by the reference character Din Fig. 1, the pick point section of the other bar will be in itsforwardly extended horizontally disposed position, as shown in fulllines in Fig. 1 and represented by the reference character B, and, whenthe pick point of one pick bar 26 is in its outside or starting to pickposition, the other pick bar is in its inside position just ready torotate a quarter turn to allow the load collected by the active movingconveyor blade to pass under the pick point section of the pick bar onits way to a pit car, other vehicle, or dump.

By reference to Fig. 1, of the drawings, it will be apparent that theconveyor blade 5 shown in position E which is next to collect a load, isapproaching the position to start around the front sprocket 2, as thepick point section of the pick bar is starting to move in its ickingaction in an arcuate path from position designated A. to positiondesignated C, during which movement the pick point section assumes ahorizontally disposed or laying down position, as clearly shown in Figs.2, 3 and 4. When the pick point section has moved to the forwardmostosition designated B, the conveyor collecting the load is just about tostart to move around the front sprocket 2 and by the time the pick pointsection has reached its inward position designated C, the conveyor bladehas already started to move around the sprocket collecting its load.This movement of the pick point section scribes the are F whichcompletes its pick ing action and from this position C of the pick pointsection, the pick point section moves in a'rearward direction torearward position D. By the time the pick point section has reached thisposition, the con veyor blade has moved with its collected load to aposition directly below the pick point section in position D, which isits rear, rotated raised, or arched position, which permits of the loadcollected by the conveyor blade 5 to pass undisturbed under the pickpoint section of the pick bar and start to carry the load to theinclined bed p!a te 1, while the pick point section is being moved fromposition D to position A, in an arcuate path. From position C toposition D, the pick bar rotates a quarter of a turn in a direction toraise the curved pick point sec tion to assume an arched position andfrom position D to position A, the pick bar ro tates in the oppositedirection so as to lower the pick point section to its horizontallydisposed or picking position.

Moving the bearing sleeve plate 15 l'orwardly upon the cover plate 14,will. cause the pick point section of the pick bars to assume ahorizontally disposed picking position sooner and continue in thishorizontally disposed position longer than when the plate 15 is moved inthe opposite direction. In other words, in the latter position of theplate because the set screws engage the inclined cam grooves of the pickbar sooner thus making the horizontal sweep of the pick point longerthan in the forward posi tion of the sleeve plate 15.

In Fig. 12, I have shown the modified arrangement for. imparting to thepick bar 26 a partial rotar movement, as in Fig. 10, of my aforesaiPatent1,517,812. The general construction of the pick bar is the same,as before described, but instead of two opposed cam grooves, I use onlyone -lon itudinal cam groove. Also, the hearing or the pick bar isrovided with a lug 34 which co-operates wit the cam groove instead ofthe two set screws 24 to produce the desired artial rotative movement ofthe pick ars 26.

From the foregoing description, it is'evident that I provide a loadingmachine which is simple in construction, durable, strong and which inactual work has proven very highly efiicient for the purpose intendewhether loading coal or rock.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readilysuggest themselvesto those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

I do not wish to be understood as having limited myself to the detailsof construction shown and described, but desire to have it understoodthat the invention I have shown in the drawings is merely illustrative,as it is manifest that various minor changes may he made in the exactconstruction and particular arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, hence I reserve the right to make any suchchanges, or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of theappended claims when fairly construed.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a loading machine structure having conveyor chains provided withlaterally directed load engaging blades, a pick bar, means for movingthe forward end of said pick bar in a continued orbital path, means forpartially rotating the pick bar to raise the forward end of the pick barfree from a load passing under the same and adjustably mounted means forcausing/the pick bar to start to rotate at any predetermined time in thereturn orbital movement of the forward end thereof.

2. In a coal loading machine, a pick bar, means to oscillateandsimultaneously efi'ect longitudinal movement of the pick bar,

means operable by and upon longitudinal movement of the pick bar toautomatically impart turning'movement to the pick bar and adjustablymounted means whereby the timing of the turning movement of the pick barmay be varied.

3. In a loading machine, an inclined plate a pair of endless conveyorshaving 5 ace laterally directed load engaging bla es, 9. pair of pickbars, means to oscillate and simultaneously efiect longitudinal movementof the pick bars, means operable b and upon longitudinal movement of thepic bars to' automatically impart turning movement to the pick bars andadjustably mounted means whereby the timing of the turning movement ofthe pick bars may be varied.

4. In a loading machine, an inclined plate, an endless conveyor havingspaced laterally directed conveying blades, a pick bar, means tooscillate and simultaneously effect longitudinal movement of the pickbar, means operable by and upon longitudinal movement of the pick bar toautomatically im part turning movement to the pick bar to raise theforward end of the pick bar free from coal torn down and moved by theforward end of the pick bar toward and into the path of the conveyingblades and adjustahly mounted means whereby the timing of the turningmovement of the pick bar may be varied.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to thespecification.

FRANK N. WILSON

